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4.17.2017

Nintendo to Cease Production of NES Classic

North American Shipments End in April

Well folks, this is it. Despite unyielding demand worldwide, Nintendo is ceasing production of the NES classic in North America. In a statement released to the Verge, Nintendo has said that the final shipments will be delivered throughout April to retailers. Anyone who doesn’t have one already will probably never get their hands on one.

The NES Classic was released last November, becoming last holiday season’s hot buy. With the release of the Switch still months away, the NES Classic would became a substitute for those who wanted to adventure with their favorite mustachioed plumber. Being built with nostalgia in mind for the aging gaming population, Nintendo severely underestimated demand for a “new” Nintendo console. Sound familiar?

Featuring 30 classic games with favorites like Super Mario Bros., the console saw critical success. Extra features like save states and screen filters appealed to new and old gamers alike. Just about the only criticism Nintendo received on the console was the extremely short supply, which never improved despite additional shipments and a low MSRP of $60.

Immediately after release, scalpers began reselling the NES Classic at markups of up to 200%, (except for one which sold for $5000) eventually settling to around $150 before this news went live. Some saw consoles appearing on Nintendo’s ebay account as evidence of intentional scarcity, much like the Nintendo Wii more than a decade ago.

"This is sad, but not totally unexpected."

This is sad, but not totally unexpected. The NES Classic was a great throwback to a bygone era of gaming. For some, it was their first (and maybe only) introduction to classics such as The Legend of Zelda. Still, with NES Classic production stopped for good, those few consoles still in the wild will fly off shelves quickly enough.